As thousands of music lovers prepare to head to Bramham Park at the end of the month, we put a simple question to our readers on our Facebook page: What is the single best act you have ever seen at Leeds Festival?
For me? That would be when Guns ‘n’ Roses finally made it to the stage for one of two UK performances in 2002 - London, and Leeds Festival being the other.
Despite Axl being late (and the sky is blue, to add), that knife-edge anticipation in the middle of a packed-out crowd with the threat of a riot if Mr Rose didn’t come out only added to the pure explosion of joy when ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ hit.
But what did other festival goers attest was one of the best performances they’ve ever seen at Leeds Festival over the years?
Here are 9 of the top acts and memorable moments picked by local music fans.
1. Oasis (2000)
A standout moment in local festival history. The Manchester band's headlining slot in 2000 left an indelible mark on local fans when Liam Gallagher dedicated their anthemic hit to the memory of the two Leeds United supporters tragically killed in Istanbul earlier that year.
2. The Killers
Brandon Flowers and co. remain one of the most reliable and celebrated headliners in the festival's history, consistently delivering hit-heavy, high-energy stadium anthems across their main stage appearances. | www.chrisphelps.com
3. The White Stripes (2004)
Jack and Meg White’s headline set in 2004 stands out as one of the rawest, most electrifying rock performances Bramham Park has ever hosted. | Gie Knaeps/Getty Images
4. Metallica
Heavy metal royalty has graced the festival multiple times over the decades, bringing pyro, heavy riffs, and wall-to-wall crowds to the main stage.
5. The Prodigy & Arctic Monkeys (2009)
The 2009 edition delivered one of the standard-setting one-two punches in festival history, pairing the incendiary electronic energy of The Prodigy with Sheffield's indie titans fresh off their second album era.
6. Cornelius (1999)
Going right back to the very first edition of the festival held at Temple Newsam, Japanese experimental multi-instrumentalist Cornelius delivered a cult set that remains a core memory for late-90s festival-goers. | Provided